A car rental company in Singapore is searching for a woman who allegedly failed to return a rented BMW sedan and stopped paying the daily rental fees for more than a week. The firm has since taken to social media in hopes of locating the customer and recovering the vehicle.
According to the rental company, the woman collected the car on Jan. 27 and initially made payments for the daily rental without issue. However, the payments reportedly stopped on Feb. 26 while the vehicle was still in her possession.
Despite multiple attempts to resolve the matter privately, the company claims the car has yet to be returned, prompting concerns over unpaid rental fees and the whereabouts of the vehicle.
Long-Term Customer Previously Trusted By Company
The woman, identified by the company as Anne Cecilia, had reportedly been renting vehicles from the firm every one or two months over the past two years. During that period, she had maintained a good record and had not caused any significant problems.
Because of this long-standing relationship, the company said it trusted her enough to rent out the BMW without installing a GPS tracker in the vehicle. The arrangement was also relatively flexible.
The business owner, surnamed Kwan, explained that the customer typically rented cars on an ad hoc basis. Instead of paying for a fixed period upfront, she would extend the rental daily by paying the fee at the end of each day.
The daily rental rate for the BMW sedan was approximately S$90. Under normal circumstances, the company would only require the car back if another customer needed it.
Excuses And Missed Meetings Raise Suspicion
Problems reportedly began in mid-February when the customer started making payments late. Instead of paying daily as agreed, she allegedly delayed payments by three to four days.
When questioned, she reportedly told staff that she was facing financial difficulties because both of her parents had been hospitalised. Due to her past reliability, the company initially chose to give her more time.
However, when the delay stretched from several days to over a week, staff members began to grow suspicious. According to the owner, the customer repeatedly promised to settle the payment but failed to follow through.
At one point, she asked the company to collect the vehicle from her at Singapore General Hospital. However, when staff attempted to arrange the collection, she allegedly failed to appear despite claiming she was on the way multiple times.
Company Turns To Social Media For Help
Frustrated by the situation, the company posted a public message on Facebook asking the woman to return the vehicle and settle the outstanding payments. The post also appealed to anyone who might know her to come forward with information.
In response to the post, the woman reportedly contacted the company again and promised to return the car on Mar. 9 together with the money owed. According to the owner, she did not show up as promised.
The Facebook profile that the company believed belonged to the customer was also no longer accessible shortly after the post circulated online.
Rental Firm Considering Vehicle Repossession
With communication breaking down, the company visited the residential address listed in the rental agreement in an attempt to locate the woman. When staff arrived, her mother reportedly told them that she had not been home for two days.
The rental company is now considering engaging a professional vehicle repossession service to recover the BMW.
The owner also noted that incidents involving customers delaying payments or failing to return vehicles are not uncommon in the car rental industry. Many rental firms typically install GPS tracking devices in their vehicles to prevent such situations.
Following this incident, the company said it plans to tighten its procedures and ensure that every rental vehicle is fitted with a tracker in future.